


Farmer's son

by Iwastemytimereading



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Song Lyrics, Song fic, i should rethink my life choices, reasons why i stay awake until 7 am, rodney atkins song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iwastemytimereading/pseuds/Iwastemytimereading
Summary: Well, I heard he needed some help on the farmSomebody with a truck and two strong armsNot scared of dirt and willing to work'Til the sun goes downOr, Max needs a job really badly, the local farmer Joe Ricciardo is looking for a worker, the said farmer also has a son named Daniel and I stay up way too late writing this thing.
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Farmer's son

**Author's Note:**

> So I may or may not have listened to a Rodney Atkins song 60 times on repeat while writing this at two am. You'll never know. 
> 
> But yes, a farming au following the song of Farmer's daughter by Rodney Atkins, the song does not belong to me. Hope you enjoy, please leave a kudos or a comment if you did.

Max knew it couldn’t stay that way forever, he knew it was time for him to at least try and start looking for a job. He’s been in Tennessee for two months by now and things weren’t looking up for him. He's been looking all around, trying to find something he could do, something that could pay the bills. He lived in an old apartment he rented when he first arrived and it had the necessities, even if only the bare minimum. But he knew that he had to pay the rent soon, or he’d be kicked out in two weeks. And he couldn’t afford that. When he left his house he only grabbed some clothes, phone, wallet, car keys and didn’t look back. He only ran and even if it was hard, so hard to leave it all behind, his friends, his sister, and his mom, he knew that the day he couldn’t call that house his home anymore, was the day when he would have to leave. It was only a matter of time, really, but that didn’t make it any easier.

So, he ran and bounced around ratty motels until he arrived in the state of Tennessee, booking an apartment with some money, and buying food with what he had left. He knew he still had some on his credit card as well, but that was quickly evaporating as well. He needed to buy food and he needed to buy the gas for his truck, he needed it when he drove around, looking for a job. But he couldn’t find anyplace.

_Well, I heard he needed some help on the farm_

_Somebody with a truck and two strong arms_

_Not scared of dirt and willing to work_

_'Til the sun goes down_

He finally heard the news from his neighbor that farmer Ricciardo had been hiring a worker and it was something that he just might be able to do. He’s worked on farms before, back home, during the summer usually, sometimes during the winters too, if only so he could earn some extra money to save up. He wasn’t a stranger to the job, or working in general, and if nothing else, he was desperate, so desperate to finally find something that would be able to get him through the month, to pay the bills, the gas, the food.

The day before he went he knew he needed the job and needed it badly. He went to bed early; he couldn’t be late if he wanted to talk to Joe Ricciardo the very next day. He knew how things went on a farm, if he wasn’t there the first thing in the morning, his chances of getting the job were practically zero to none. He checked his fridge, he was hungry, but only had cheese left, along with some bread, he’d save it for the next day. He went to bed that evening, with an empty stomach, hoping for good things the next day and no nightmares during the night.

_So I pulled up and said, "I'm your man_

_I can start right now" and we shook hands_

_He said, "The fence needs fixin', the peaches need pickin'_

_And the cows need bringin' round"_

He drove up the dusty road, his heart in his throat, not really knowing what to expect. He’d met Joe a few times before, seen him around town and such, even though they’ve never really spoken. He heard he had a big farm, was an honest man, good worker and had two kids, Daniel and Michelle. He never met them, the woman he was renting the apartment from said they were both at college or working at their jobs in Panama City when he had arrived, and that they would probably be returning soon, but that was about it really.

He finally came up to the gateway, an elder man already walking towards him and opening it, letting him through. He parked his truck after a few meters, stepping out and walking towards the man that had opened the gate way for him. He extended his hand, introducing himself. ‘Joe Ricciardo, I presume?’ the man nodded, slight aging lines visible on his forehead. ‘And you are?’ ‘Max Verstappen, sir. I heard you needed a worker?’ Joe shook his hand firmly and then went to the gate way to close it again. ‘That’s true. Are you up for it?’

Max nodded; he really did need this job. ‘Yes sir. I can start right now if you need me too, I’ve worked on farms before, I know what I need to do.’ The farmer still looked to be in a bit of a doubt and then looked over at Max’s truck, ‘That yours?’ ‘Yes it is’. He had bought it with his own money, working hard for about two years, he was lucky his neighbor had been selling it, he knew he could never afford a new one. ‘Good. You’ll need it if you’ll want to work here. Come with me.’ Max knew he had a smile painted on his face as he followed the man towards the stables, painted red and white, the smell of hay filling the air and damn, did Max miss that smell.

Joe turned towards him again once they reached the stables, leading him inside towards one of the walls, full of ropes, yearns and wires. ‘There’s a fence, about half a mile from here, five miles long, you must have seen it when you came here, it’s torn in places, many places. You fix that, got it? Tie it up, replace it, you’ve got all the things right here. Some of the wooden stakes holding it up are starting to rot, you have to replace those, you have the new stakes back there, along with hammers and new nails.’ He pointed to a working table further in the stable and Max could see the stakes and the hammers in the light that was making its way through the dusty windows. He looked back at Joe and nodded, letting him go on with the list of things he had to do. ‘Once you’re done with that, you drive up to the orchard, take the crates sitting next to the stakes, and pick the peaches. They’ve just starting ripening, so you be careful not to stash too many of them, don’t want none of them going to waste you understand?’ Max nodded again. It might’ve been a lot of work, but he didn’t care, he’d at least have something to do other than sitting in his apartment all day, worrying about how he’d get the money to pay for what he needed. ‘Alright, once you’ve finished with that, it should be starting to get late by then, you go out to the pastures, two miles from here, behind the house, there’s pastures, you gather the cows, bring them here. Think you can manage all that?’

Max knew he had a smile on his face as he shook Joe’s hand again and got to work. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but then again, he wasn’t asking for easy, he was asking for work, for a way to earn some money, and if he got that, plus a way to spend more time on farms, well, who was he to complain, really? So, he did all the work, the sun burning him from the morning to noon and from noon to the evening again.

And once he was sitting in his truck again, driving down the roads that he became so familiar with in the last two months, he was happy, tired, but happy. He stopped at the store and bought some food; he knew he’d need it if he was going to work that hard each day. He was sitting on his bed later that evening, not even bothering to shrug off his working trousers and shirt yet, just having some dinner and he knew that there would be no nightmares that night, only the memories of the fresh hay and ripe peaches. And if his muscles were going to ache the next morning, well. It was a price he was willing to pay.

_I was haulin' hay, I was feedin' the hogs_

_And that summer sun had me sweatin' like a dog_

_So I cooled off in the creek and it was back to work_

_In that dead-gum heat_

It was like that every day for Max, wake up at the crack of the day, sometimes still dark outside even, get into his truck, drive to the farm, find out what needed to be done from Joe and do it. Every day was full of hard work and heat, damn the heat. Max thought he knew what hot weather was, but apparently those temperatures doubled up when you were working.

Some days he had to haul in the hay from the pastures further away from the farm, stack it in the stables. Some days he had to feed the pigs and they really never did listen did they? Gathering cows had become almost an everyday task for him, but again, he wasn’t complaining.

When it got hot, way too hot to work, to even breathe in the heat, he’d walk to the creek, hidden by the tall oaks, their leaves reflecting the sun, cooling down the water. Max would stay in that water for hours if he could, but he knew he had work to do. So, he sprayed his face, drenched his hair and shirt one more time and went back to loading up the hay balls, driving them to the stables, stacking them up one on top of the other. The hay dust in the stables was getting in his mouth, nose, and eyes, but he tried to ignore it until it got too much and got out of the stuffy place, cause no matter how hot it was outside, the stables were always worse. He looked towards the front of the farm, saw the buckets with the food prepared for the pigs and got up again, carrying them towards the animals who were already waiting, pushing each other around, each of them trying to get to the food first. Max poured it all into the wooden trough, letting them at it.

It was like that every day, but hell if he was the one to start complaining. 

_I was cussin' out loud, thinkin' 'bout quittin'_

_Lookin' back now, I'm sure glad I didn't_

_'Cause just when I thought it couldn't get no hotter_

_I caught a glimpse of the farmer's daughter_

He wasn’t saying it was always easy. No way, nothing was ever truly easy now was it? There had been times when he thought of quitting, just telling Joe he couldn’t do it anymore, screw the bills and the apartment and everything, sometimes it really was too much of it all.

Like in that very moment. He was leaning over the tractor, trying to fix the damn thing. He was supposed to drive some of the bigger water tanks out to the cows mulling the grass on the newer pastures, but no, the tractor apparently had other plans for him on that day. And of course, it picked probably the hottest day of that summer to break down on the front yard of the farm. At least Max had all the tools at hand, but that didn’t really make it that much better did it? Not when he couldn’t even figure out what was wrong with it. He was usually alright with anything engine related, he helped his father sometimes, but this was just ridiculous. How different could tractors even be from race cars, really?

He fumbled around under it’s hood, fastening and unfastening different screws, but nothing seemed to do the trick. He threw the rag he’d been wiping the grime off his hands with on the floor, dragging his hand over his eyes, wiping away the sweat that seemed to keep on coming, no matter what he did. He reached for his water bottle, drinking some, he’d get dehydrated if he didn’t, he knew that much. He sat down in front of the tractor for a minute, just glaring at the thing as if he could glare it into working. The machine didn’t waver. Oh well, it was worth a try at least. He got up again, considering taking off his shirt, but he knew he’d probably get sunburnt if he did. He was wearing a light grey shirt, working trousers, a cap and boots, but that didn’t mean it still wasn’t hot as hell.

He just wanted to go back to the stable to get some more tools, when a white jeep drove up the driveway, stopping almost in front of the tractor and Max. The passenger door opened first, a young girl stepping out and Max guessed that that must’ve been Michelle, Joe’s daughter, he did mention his kids were going to be coming home that day. Max would remember that, if only the tractor wasn’t being such a piece of work, not letting him do what he was supposed to.

The girl came his way, outstretching her hand introducing herself and looking disapprovingly at the tractor that Max had been trying to fix for the past hour with no luck at all. ‘Hi, I’m Michelle.’ He wiped his hands on his trousers and then shook her hand, ‘Max, your dad hired me about a week ago.’ Michelle nodded, a smile spreading on her face. ‘Oh yeah, he did say something about that when I talked to him the other day. She giving you trouble again?’ she gestured to the red and blue monster that Max had been trying to come to an agreement with. ‘Yeah. Just can’t seem to make it work, no idea what it is.’ She nodded, a grin on her face. ‘You don’t even need to say it, we’ve all had our fair share of trouble with this one. Dan’s the only one that can get her to even turn on if we’re being honest.’ She turned back to the jeep and waved to the person who had apparently still been sitting in the car to that point. The door on the driver’s side finally opened as well then and _oh._

Well. If Max had thought it was hot then, it was nothing compared to right now. Because damn, that guy was something else entirely.

_She was just gettin' home from Panama City_

_She was all tanned-up and my kind of pretty_

_When her eyes met mine I was thinkin' that_

_I sure love my job_

Dark curly hair, a healthy tan, and a smile that could blind people. He was dressed in simple ripped jeans, black sneakers, and a white t-shirt with a number 3 on it, silver and black sunglasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, covering his eyes. He walked over to Max and Michelle, taking off the glasses and putting them in the pocket, his eyes flying to Max. He could stare into those eyes forever, the same way he could spend hours in that creak, in the shadows of the oaks on the hottest summer days. He didn’t even notice that Michelle was walking towards the house already, he only saw the guy in front of him that was offering him a smile and his hand.

Max reached out almost in a trance and shook his hand, and it was so warm, but a different kind of warm than the heat he’d been working in for the past week. ‘I’m Daniel, but you can call me Dan’ ‘Max’. Dan gripped his hand tightly and then looked down at the tractor again, shaking his head, the smile still present on his face. ‘She being stubborn today as well?’ Max shook himself out of his fantasies and looked up at Dan, nodding. ‘Yeah, I don’t know what it is, I was supposed to drive some water tanks out and it just… broke down.’ Dan nodded and came over to Max’s side, running his hand over the polish of the machine, leaning down slightly, stretching his hand, and gripping some lever under a few of the wires, turning his face towards Max slightly as he pulled on the lever, Max trying not to stare at his muscles and the way they stretched when he pulled it. ‘See, what I usually do when she’s feeling fussy is to just pull this little thingy right here and then, you turn the key, like this,’ he walked around Max, their hands brushing slightly, and turned the key in the ignition, the tractor roaring to life. ‘and voila, there we have it.’ He winked at Max, stepping out of the seat, and standing next to Max who looked at him in surprise. ‘How the hell did you manage to do that?’ Dan grinned, leaning on Max’s shoulder while looking at the tractor in front of them. ‘You gotta be gentle with her Maxy, give her a massage once in a while, I mean, I wouldn’t call it foreplay, but it’s something like that. You were too aggressive; you just went straight in.’ Max knew he was blushing as Dan laughed next to him, taking his cap, and ruffling his hair, while Max tried to bat his hand away.

He threw his cap back to him as he was heading towards the house, a smirk on his face as he winked at Max, ‘It was nice to meet you Maxy.’ Max lowered his eyes, putting his cap on again, and he knew he was grinning like an idiot. Fuck, he was so happy he didn’t quit.

_As the days got shorter, our talks got longer_

_The kisses got sweeter and the feelings got stronger_

_So we'd hop in the truck and get all tangled up_

_Every chance we got_

Max liked his job before already, even if it got difficult sometimes, but he liked working outside. But now? Now he loved his job. Because not only did he get to spend hours outside and getting paid for it, but he also got to spend every single one of those hours with Daniel, listening to his jokes, his laughs and his off-key singing and looking at his smile and caramel eyes. It was a dream job, no doubt about that. Everything he had to do by himself before, he now did with Dan. All the fence fixing, cow gathering and hay stacking, they did it together and Max wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

Not when Dan would tell him stories from work, laughing about his coworkers, and Max got to know them one by one. Seb, the nice one, even if a little overprotective of the younger coworkers sometimes, acting like a second father to them. He heard about Charles, the sometimes-dramatic guy from the music department who was hung up on Pierre, the attractive one from designing who was hung up on Charles, the two idiots way too oblivious to notice they were both in love with each other. He got to hear about Lewis, the boss’ right hand man and animal enthusiast who showed photos of his dog to anyone interested, always trying to keep everyone’s spirits high. He heard about Lando, Alex and George, the youngest coworkers of Dan’s at their company, working in the game testing department. He got to hear so many stories, some funny, some hilarious and some that were just plain weird.

They spent so much time together and Max knew that his crush on the other had been growing by the day. Every time he smiled at him, hugged him, or ruffled his hair, even if Max claimed to hate it. But there were times when he could feel Dan’s eyes on him, during work, during breaks, while they went to freshen up to the creek together. That summer really was brutal, there was no doubt about that.

There were moments that they had just for themselves, no pressure of time that reminded them of all the work that had to be done. Moments when there was only the indigo sky above them, thousands of stars shining in the darkness. Moments when they would just lay in the back of Max’s truck, looking up and talking about nothing and everything at once.

Then there were moments like this one. When Dan’s hand would brush against Max’s, their fingers tangling together and Max was thankful it was dark and Dan couldn’t see his face, because he knew how red he had to be at the moment. Especially when he felt Dan’s fingers on his chin, turning Max’s face towards his, Max once again faced with the caramel eyes with the golden flecks inside. He could see those caramel orbs drifting down slightly to his lips and then back up again, meeting his eyes, as if asking for permission. And then Max nodded, because, really, he’d be crazy not to.

And when he finally felt Daniel’s lips on his, the older moving until he was directly above him, licking into his mouth, Max letting out a noise of pure satisfaction, damn how happy he was he took the job those two months ago. And when he could feel Daniel’s hands on his waist, his fingers just barely brushing the skin below his shirt, he couldn’t do anything else but tangle his hands in Daniel’s hair, pulling him even closer, reveling in the feeling of perfection that was Daniel’s lips against his, both of them breathless, but not being able to stop.

_We were down by the river all night long_

_When the sun came up, I was sneaking' her home_

_And dragging' my butt to work_

_With the smell of her perfume on my shirt_

It was one of the most exciting and most enjoyable things to Max, being with Dan the whole night long, just the two of them, lying in the grass next to the creek they spent so much time in during the day when it got too hot to be even able to stand and breathe, let alone work. Daniel suggested it one day, going out, down to the creek during the night. And Max had long since found that he couldn’t say no to Daniel, not really knowing whether that was a good thing or not. He suspected that Daniel was aware of the effect he had on him, but he let it slide, if for nothing else just to see his eyes light up when he agreed to yet another one of his crazy schemes.

The first time that he sneaked over to the farm during the night, the lights on his truck turned off, Daniel already waiting for him, in sweatpants and t-shirt and Max just smiled and returned his kiss as they drove towards the creek together, the moon above them illuminating the gravel road, puffs of dust raising up behind them. When they arrived, they sat on the grass at until Max had remembered he had a blanket in the back of his car, spreading it on the ground, the two of them lying down on the soft surface, looking at the almost silvery water that was running past their feet.

Of course, they both ended up drenched in water after Dan splashed Max and who was he to go down without a fight? So of course, he splashed back and then Dan dragged him into the water, splashing his hair as well, and then things escalated from there, ending up with a wet Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. And they cuddled up into the blanket, to warm up of course, looking up at the stars again, trying to name them all even if neither of them had any idea about anything star related.

And so what if Dan kissed Max later to shut him up when he started worrying about how he was going to get him back into his house unnoticed before the morning. And so what if Max kissed him back, only deeper even if he knew that they both should be heading back in an hour. And maybe things have escalated from there.

And they kissed in Max’s car later when he drove Dan back, heading to his own apartment to try and get some sleep at least. And then going back to the farm, acting as if he hadn’t seen Dan just a few hours prior, secretive smiles on both of their faces and Max still smelling like Dan. And if there were a few bruises on both of their necks and if Max was walking a bit differently that day, a slight wince every time he sat down that made Michelle raise her eyebrow, setting both of their faces on fire, well. Everyone had secrets, right?

_I'd be on the tractor, she'd be on my mind_

_With that sun beatin' down on this back of mine_

_And just when I thought it couldn't get no hotter_

_I fell in love with the farmer's daughter_

It all hit Max so suddenly he almost fell off the tractor while trying to deliver all of the peach crates to the farm cellar. He would not recommend that to anyone, the almost falling of a tractor while you’re driving it part, not the trying to deliver peaches to a farm cellar part.

It had all hit him so suddenly because just that night him and Daniel had been together at the creek again and it had been, well, amazing. But it wasn’t even that. No, it was that they were both talking about what they’d want to do in the future, Max still didn’t quite know, but Dan had the answer ready in a split second. Working on the farm. Of course, it wasn’t really that much of a choice for him, but he told Max that his dad would never force him to stay on the farm if there was something else that Dan had wanted to do with his life instead. But no, Dan really, truly wanted to do that. He wanted to work on that farm, take care of the livestock, pick the peaches every year, feed the pigs, the whole package deal. He ruffled Max’s hair when he said it ‘You know Maxy, you could be right here with me too, if you wanted to.’

And that was the thing, he wanted to. There was nothing that he wanted more than that. There was nothing he wanted more than to wake up to Dan’s smiling face every day, his voice still a bit rough from sleep, his eyes sleepy, but kind. He wanted to go out and work on the farm with him, help him stack the hay balls, gather the livestock, fix the fences, pick the peaches, and feed the pigs, the whole package deal. He wanted that so badly.

It was because of that that it truly hit him so hard, that even feeding the pigs, he’d do it if he had Daniel by his side, every step of the way. Max realized that he had been falling for the longest time and that he fell in love with the farmer’s son, he fell in love with Daniel. And maybe that realization almost made him fall off the tractor, but it also made him smile so wide he couldn’t stop smiling all day long, and he was completely ok with that.

_We got married last spring_

_Oh, and there ain't no better life for me_

The peach orchard had always been Max’s favorite place, no matter what time of the year it was, he loved it. He loved the small flowers and green leaves in the springs, making the whole place buzz with the sounds of the bees, he loved watching the fruits start forming and ripening in the summer, he loved picking them, loading them up in the crates, he loved to watch the leaves turn colors and fall to the ground, coloring the entire orchard in oranges, yellows, reds and browns. He loved walking through in the winter, sometimes seeing the (very) rare snowflakes land on the bare branches of the trees, turning it into a winter wonderland.

But nothing, nothing at all could ever compare when he was walking down the orchard one day during the fall, once again admiring the colors of the leaves and when he came to the end, already wanting to turn around he heard Dan’s voice calling him and he leaned under a tree and walked until he came to the biggest one in the whole orchard. And he knew that nothing could ever compare than when he saw Dan on one knee, a ring in his hands. And when he attacked his face with kisses and yes’s, he knew that that was the most beautiful he had ever seen that orchard get.

Or at least, so he had thought. Until he walked down it on a warm day in the middle of March, towards the biggest peach tree, where Dan was standing, dressed in a tux just like Max. And he knew that the orchard was always going to be the most beautiful in the moment when Daniel and him put the beautiful diamond rings on each other’s finger, and when they both said ‘I do’ and when Dan pulled Max in for a kiss, the kind that lasts forever and ever, Max knew that he’d remember that moment forever and it became the number one reason on his list of why he loved that peach orchard so much.

_I'm still haulin' hay and feedin' the hogs_

_And that summer sun's got me sweatin' like a dog_

_So I cool off in the creek_

_And she brings me out a glass of sweet ice tea_

And maybe to others it would seem like not much has changed, he’s still driving the same tractor up and down those fields, up and down the orchard, he’s still stacking the hay balls and driving them to the stables and back. He’s still feeding the pigs and he’s still cooking in the heat, even if only in a light shirt, work trousers, cap, and boots.

Everything is the same, but at the same time so different. Especially when he parks the tractor in front of the stables, with every intention of driving out some more hay, but then Dan comes out of the stables, already taking his shirt off in the process and saying something about the creek, and look, Max is only a man, alright. So, he follows Dan to the creek, welcoming the cold water and welcoming Dan into his arms, letting him kiss every inch of his body, because he is kind of tired and he did need a break.

And later Dan helps him finish and they can finally go back into the kitchen, reveling in the cold that takes place inside the thick walls of the farmhouse. And they both drink the peach juice that Michelle made earlier that year, and Max just feels happy, both of them do.

_Now I'm on the tractor, she's on my mind_

_And I can't wait 'til it's quittin' time_

_And just when I think it can't get no hotter_

_I come home to the farmer's daughter, yeah_

And every day may be the same routine, waking up to Dan’s smiling face, his eyes sleepy and his voice rough and then going out to work, his shirts smelling of Dan and Max smiling whenever he catches a whiff of it.

And he knows he has to finish the work, even if all he wants is to go to the house and hug and kiss Daniel and go swimming in the creek with him, because really, that heat will kill them both one day. But it wouldn’t matter even if he did go to the house, because Dan went to the town that day and wouldn’t be back until later that evening.

But it just makes it all that much better when Dan comes through the doors of the stables, with Max just finishing up all the work of the day, the pigs fed, the cows gathered and the peaches in the cellar. And when he sees Dan at the doors of the stable, looking at him with so much love in his eyes, and Max’s legs carry him towards Dan on their own, falling into his arms, and feeling Dan press a kiss on the top of his head and it’s the best feeling he can feel at the end of a long day.

_The farmer's daughter_

_Hey, baby_

And he’s not complaining that it used to be hard sometimes, that he had to run away from the place that he couldn’t call home anymore. And he doesn’t complain about the stubborn tractor or about the disobedient pigs and he almost never complains about the heat.

Because he’s happy. Because he’s so happy to have ended up right there at that time, to have heard the job offer, to take it and do the job.

And he’s not complaining and he’s happy, because he fell in love with the farmer’s son, because he fell in love with Dan.

**Author's Note:**

> The link to the song this fic was inspired by and caused me to stay up for the whole night to write the said fic:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi5nE4cPFAQ give it a listen if you like country music, or even if you don't, it's a pretty good song.
> 
> If you ever find yourself on tumblr, come say hi and we can talk about the driver and music, my name is iwastemytimereading1


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